(Page 1 of 6) Lockdown - 36 by Alexander Shaw
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SUMMARY: Thanks for all you observations Kat, and good luck with Collar of Slaves. In the mean time... more Lockdown.Chapter 36 – Security Meeting.
--/Day 10 11:50 Hours/--
--/Level 9-123 ‘Ragnorian Gang Turf'/--
The cleanup operation was progressing well. Ninety-six specialists, along with more than a hundred of the security troops who had been in reserve for the incision, were policing the bodies, rounding them up and dumping them in the three portable furnaces spread throughout the section. It was grim work, and there was little talk amongst the people doing it. Blood had mostly dried, it was being pressure washed, body parts were swept together and picked up.
Public outrage had spiked just after the event in the surrounding sections, but had died down quickly. Many of the other Ragnorian gangs on the station wanted to go on the warpath, but found that rival Lorast gangs were keeping them occupied with minor territorial infractions. Everyone else just wanted to keep their heads down and pretend it had nothing to do with them. A diplomatic protest from the Alliance and Korsneakian governments had been lodged.
Kliess was supervising it personally. As a veteran in the Nethrek Legions, he'd seen every kind of carnage the galaxy had to offer. He was used to this. He had been pleased with the incision, he'd only lost nine troopers, with another seventy-six wounded.
"You're sure this was necessary?" Coleman asked from behind him.
"Commander Sorrell said it was, so it was." Kliess answered simply.
"And you wonder why the Ragnorian embassy refuses to acknowledge his citizenship. For fuck's sake, he's a Ragnorian." Pate said, limping up to stand next to the Colonel. "I have some information you might find interesting." He continued, not caring if the Colonel was listening or not. "The package wasn't your prime suspect. According to a source, that thing got here on a different entrance." Pate reported, looking out over the scene of macabre horror.
"One day, you'll have to inform us what your sources are, exactly." Kliess mused.
"Nope." Pate said. "Have fun. If any of your men come down to Gas Chamber bragging about how many Ragnorians they killed, I'm kicking them out." He continued. Kliess nodded. Pate turned away, limping back to the elevators. He was a Ragnorian himself, but he'd heard of worse atrocities committed on this station. Kliess turned finally, watching the bar tender go for a moment. Then he looked back to his cleanup operation. It was going well.
--/+21 minutes 44 seconds/--
--/Level 1-001 Sorrell's Office/--
"...No, I'm afraid you are gravely misinformed, Ambassador." Sorrell said into the viewlink. "The act taken was against Ragnorian gangs yes, but all three gangs were responsible for acts of terrorism and territorial aggression against neighbouring Lorast families and businesses. I believe that they had taken the Lockdown badly and acted out against their traditional enemies." He explained, his best courteous and diplomatic voice. On the viewlink screen, the pompous form of Ambassador Giries of the Darnamaxac Alliance scowled back at him.
"You have documented proof, of course." Giries asked, sneering.
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